Bayonet walking stick

ABSTRACT

A walking stick or cane can become an effective personal defense deterrent by providing a means of attaching a standard bayonet, such as a M7-M9 bayonet. The use of a bayonet lug as an integral part of the walking stick/cane, when combined with a precision machined steel handle, allows a bayonet to be firmly and securely attached. By allowing the bayonet to be detached, the cane becomes useful for walking assistance, is non-threatening to the surrounding public, and can be transported in any jurisdiction, including those that may not allow an assembled device of this nature.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 61/652,124, filed May 25, 2012, the contents of whichare herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to personal safety devices and, moreparticularly, to a walking stick/cane that allows a bayonet to beattached for personal defense.

When walking or hiking, people often need and use a walking stick orcane. If a need for personal defense arises, a walking stick or cane isoften not an effective deterrent. People that want to have a personaldefense weapon with them many times do not want the fact they are inpossession of a weapon to be obvious.

A conventional device that is made from a pole with a temporarilyattachable knife is almost certainly going to be weak at the point ofattachment and not reliable as a defensive weapon. If a knife issecurely mounted permanently, the device is not likely able to be usedas a walking assistance tool, may not legally be allowed to be possessedor transported through some jurisdictions, and may be threatening atinappropriate times.

As can be seen, there is a need for a walking stick or cane that allowsa bayonet to be securely attached for personal defense.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a walking stick/cane comprises agrip/bayonet mount component having a first end, a central portion and asecond end; a tubular shaft attached to the first end of thegrip/bayonet mount component; and a lug for removably attaching abayonet thereto, the lug attached to the grip/bayonet mount component,wherein the second end of the grip/bayonet mount component fitting intoa hole in a hand guard of the bayonet.

In another aspect of the present invention, a walking stick/canecomprises a grip/bayonet mount component having a first end having afirst diameter, a central portion having a second diameter, and a secondend having a third diameter wherein the first diameter is less than thesecond diameter and the second diameter is less than the third diameter;a tubular shaft attached to the first end of the grip/bayonet mountcomponent; a lug for removably attaching a bayonet thereto, the lugattached to the grip/bayonet mount component; and a tip disposed on anend of the tubular shaft, the end being opposite an attachment end ofthe tubular shaft to the grip/bayonet mount component, wherein thesecond end of the grip/bayonet mount component fitting into a hole in ahand guard of the bayonet.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a bayonet walking stick, having a bayonetattached, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.The bayonet walking stick includes a machined piece of steel, placementof a bayonet lug used to quickly secure the attachment of a standardM7-M9 bayonet, and an aluminum tube to which the machined piece of steelis attached. When combined, these elements make the bayonet walkingstick a functional walking cane, while providing defensive length andcapability to hold a bayonet when used as a deterrent;

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the bayonet walking stick, having thebayonet attached, of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a walking stickor cane to become an effective personal defense deterrent by providing ameans of attaching a standard bayonet, such as a M7-M9 bayonet. The useof a bayonet lug as an integral part of the walking stick/cane, whencombined with a precision machined steel handle, allows a bayonet to befirmly and securely attached. By allowing the bayonet to be detached,the cane becomes useful for walking assistance, is non-threatening tothe surrounding public, and can be transported in any jurisdiction,including those that may not allow an assembled device of this nature.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, a bayonet walking stick 10 caninclude a grip/bayonet mount component 16, such as a piece of steel, anda tubular shaft 12 attached to the grip/bayonet mount component 16. Amounting cylinder 18 of the grip/bayonet mount component 16 can bemachined to precisely fit a receiver loop 26 formed in a bayonet handguard 26 (disposed between the blade 22 and the handle 24 of the bayonet20) of an M7, M8 or M9 bayonet 20. A standard steel bayonet lug 19 isprecisely placed and welded to the grip/bayonet mount component 16 tofirmly and securely lock the handle 24 of the bayonet 20 in place.

The grip/bayonet mount component 16 can be press fit into a tubularshaft 12, such as a thick aluminum tube, that can be used as the walkingstick/cane portion of the device. These strong component pieces,combined with the method of temporarily attaching a bayonet whileproviding the strength of a permanently attached knife, make the deviceof the present invention uniquely suitable as a combined walking stickor cane and personal defense device.

The grip/bayonet mount component 16 may be machined to three differentcylindrical diameters. For example, the largest diameter (the mountingcylinder 18) can be about 0.855 inch in diameter and about 4.75 incheslong, the central component, to which the bayonet lug 19 is attached,can be about 0.750 inch in diameter and about 1.5 inch long, and theshaft mount end can be about 0.500 inch in diameter and about 1.5 inchlong. The bayonet lug 19 for a M7-M9 bayonet may be securely affixed by,for example, welding, to the grip/bayonet mount component 16 at theappropriate location. The grip/bayonet mount component 16, at the 0.500inch outside diameter (O.D.) end can be press fitted, or adhered, intothe cylindrical piece of tubular shaft 12 as shown.

Optionally, a cylindrical rubber tip 14, or similar material (forexample, about 0.75 inch inside diameter (I.D.), 1.25 inch O.D by 4inches long) may be utilized on the end of the tubular shaft 12 oppositethe grip/bayonet mount component 16. The rubber tip 14 can be used as anoptional anti-slip enhancement when the bayonet walking stick/cane isused as a walking assistance device.

When the bayonet walking stick/cane 10 is used as a walking assistancedevice, no bayonet would be attached. When the bayonet walkingstick/cane 10 is to be used as a defensive deterrent, the user wouldattach an M7-M9 bayonet to the steel piece of the device by sliding theopen loop of the bayonet over the end of the steel piece until the endof the bayonet locks onto the bayonet lug as shown in FIG. 1. The M7-M9bayonets have a receiver hole at the end of their handle that the lugslides into and then locks in place. The length of the tubular shaft 12(typically from about 33 to about 45 inches) provides a defensivedistance from a threat.

While certain materials and manufacturing methods have been describedabove, other materials and manufacturing methods may be contemplatedwithin the scope of the present invention. For example, materials, suchas alternate metals, composites, carbon-reinforced plastics, carbonfiber, and other such materials, may be used to replace one or all ofthe components. Such alternate materials may provide a lighter versionof the bayonet walking stick/cane of the present invention.

As described above, the bayonet walking stick/cane of the presentinvention can be quickly converted for use from a standard walkingassistance device to a defensive deterrent. The advantages of thebayonet walking stick/cane of the present invention, versus carrying astrictly defensive weapon, such as a permanently mounted knife on apole, are multi-fold: For example, the device of the present inventionis non-threatening when not assembled for defensive use: the deviceserves as a walking assistance tool: and the device can be transportedun-assembled through jurisdictions that may not allow a defensivedeterrent of the type described herewithin.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A walking stick/cane comprising: a grip/bayonetmount component having a first end, a central portion and a second end;a tubular shaft attached to the first end of the grip/bayonet mountcomponent; and a lug for removably attaching a bayonet thereto, the lugattached to the grip/bayonet mount component, wherein the second end ofthe grip/bayonet mount component fitting into a hole in a hand guard ofthe bayonet.
 2. The walking stick/cane of claim 1, further comprising atip disposed on an end of the tubular shaft, the end being opposite anattachment end of the tubular shaft to the grip/bayonet mount component.3. The walking stick/cane of claim 1, wherein the lug is attached to acentral portion of the grip/bayonet mount component.
 4. The walkingstick/cane of claim 1, wherein the grip/bayonet mount component is madeof steel.
 5. The walking stick/cane of claim 1, wherein the tubularshaft is made from aluminum.
 6. The walking stick/cane of claim 1,wherein the tubular shaft is press fitted onto the first end of thegrip/bayonet mount component.
 7. The walking stick/cane of claim 1,wherein the first end has a first diameter, the central portion has asecond diameter, and the second end has a third diameter, wherein thefirst diameter is less than the second diameter and the second diameteris less than the third diameter.
 8. A walking stick/cane comprising: agrip/bayonet mount component having a first end having a first diameter,a central portion having a second diameter, and a second end having athird diameter wherein the first diameter is less than the seconddiameter and the second diameter is less than the third diameter; atubular shaft attached to the first end of the grip/bayonet mountcomponent; a lug for removably attaching a bayonet thereto, the lugattached to the grip/bayonet mount component; and a tip disposed on anend of the tubular shaft, the end being opposite an attachment end ofthe tubular shaft to the grip/bayonet mount component, wherein thesecond end of the grip/bayonet mount component fitting into a hole in ahand guard of the bayonet.
 9. The walking stick/cane of claim 8, whereinthe lug is attached to a central portion of the grip/bayonet mountcomponent.
 10. The walking stick/cane of claim 8, wherein thegrip/bayonet mount component is made of steel and the tubular shaft ismade from aluminum.